Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
During colorectal surgery, a portion of the colon may be removed and the two remaining ends of the colon may be reattached together (or anastomosed). The location of the sutures and/or staple line, where the remaining ends of the colon are joined together is referred to as the anastomosis. Anastomotic leakage is a common complication after colorectal surgery, and may occur at the location of the anastomosis, during which gases and/or fluids may leak from inside of the colon into the intraperitoneal space of the abdominal cavity which can cause severe illness and even death. The anastomotic leakage can occur post-operatively as the body resumes gas production and the internal pressure within the colon increases and puts pressure on the anastomosis allowing gas and/or fluids to leak into the intraperitoneal space at the anastomosis location. Often times, the initial leakage may go undetected until severe symptoms including peritonitis, abscess, sepsis, and even death occur. Early detection of anastomotic leakage after surgery is important for enabling early intervention and management of the anastomosis in order to avoid severe complications, illness, and death due to the leakage.